Sadly, Lit Chaos is no more. Well, the online journal known as Lit Chaos is no more, in my daily life, in the life of the literary world, there is still enough chaos to go around. But the Lit Chaos crew were always friendly, they had a nice little press going for awhile. And then, without warning, they just weren’t there, not updating the website, not responding to emails. I’ve been involved with other publications that have quit, but usually there is a very sad email that comes, filled with valid reasons, stuffed with regrets and assurances that the website will remain archived for as long as they can, but that nothing on it will change.

And so it is with Lit Chaos. I click on the site and it’s a veritable ghost town. Nothing changes, and yet you can feel a presence… somewhere…

One of the reasons I loved Lit Chaos so much is the two poems of mine they published in 2008, “Detroit Joe” and “Hands Down“. Both of these poems are fun to read out loud, if you don’t believe me go ahead, try it.

I don’t often write in form, most of my poetry is free verse, but occasionally I find a topic, or dream up a line, that just fits into one form or another. Hands Down is just such a poem, a villanelle, its anthem style fits well as a protest against homelessness, poverty, the inability in the face of disaster to help the most helpless amongst us.

Detroit Joe isn’t written in form, but it is based on a beat. I have a soft spot for Motown, and Detroit Joe takes that influence and writes a story to its beat, another anthem of sorts for the working man, just trying to make the weekend stretch as long as he can.

What are you angry about this week? What irks you, gets your goat? Write about it this week, look into different poetry forms, pantoum, villanelle, sestina, sonnet, haiku, and see if a form fits your anger. Use repetition to your advantage, drive your points home.